


Roadtrips Never Go As Planned

by c0cunt



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, roadtrip au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-11-09
Packaged: 2018-04-14 09:37:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4559676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c0cunt/pseuds/c0cunt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren, Jean, and Marco haven't seen much of their friends from high school since the three of them moved away from their hometown 5 years ago.  Armin's hosting a reunion for all of them at his beach house, and this is how they all reunite.  It's decided that a road trip is the absolute best way to get there.</p><p>On hiatus at this point</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Teddy Bear

 

Today they were going on a road trip. However, waking up at 3am like they had decided upon, was not going so well. Jean was vibrating with excitement as he gathered up their three large suitcases. They would have to have enough clothes and other essentials to last the trio the entire month they would be gone.

 

Eren's suitcase was the lightest by far, as he insisted that if they needed more clothes, they could just go to a laundromat, instead of lugging around a fuckton of clothes that would take up souvenir space. Marco's was the heaviest, as he had taken it upon himself to pack more of Eren's things that might be wanted. Jean was pretty confident that he had packed everything he would want or need (including the teddy bear that Eren and Marco had gotten him when they first started dating, quickly stuffed on top after snuggling with it in bed). With one last quick sweep of the apartment, and starting up the coffee maker, Jean decided it was time to wake the zombies.

 

Eren and Marco were still immovable objects twined together on their bed. Jean huffed in slight annoyance; it was Eren's idea to leave so early in the first place! Though, it wasn't surprising that those two were still asleep. Jean was the lightest sleeper out of all of them, Eren slept like the dead, and Marco was a terrible morning grump. As the scent of coffee started to seep into the room, Jean sat on the edge of the bed, unable to resist snapping a quick batch of photos of his cute boys. Marco stirred slightly, the smell of coffee impossible to resist, the small smile that had been lingering from a good night's sleep morphing quickly into a frown. Jean chuckled slightly, turning on their ancient boombox with the cd that always put Marco into his usual happy mood playing quietly.

 

"Good morning sleeping beauty," Jean chuckled, as the soundtrack from Cinderella started playing, dropping a kiss onto Marco's ankle. Marco carefully untangled himself from Eren (who grumbled slightly but relinquished his grip on the larger boy), and wiggled down to where Jean was sitting. Dropping a quick peck to Jean's cheek, Marco let out a whine and dropped his forehead to Jean's shoulder when he was able to blink sleepiness out of his eyes and read the time on the alarm clock.

 

"'S too early," Marco mumbled, snuggling into Jean's lap, "'S not like the beach's goin' anywhere..." Jean smiled at his poor grumpy boyfriend, slowly shifting the two of them so Marco's legs were over the side of the bed.

"C'mon babe, get ready, we all agreed we'd leave this early. I'll wake the lump, go grab yourself some coffee or use the bathroom or something." Jean nudged Marco into standing as he spoke, peppering Marco's face and shoulders with little kisses as encouragement. Marco let out a throaty whine as he stumbled to their bathroom, Jean raising the volume of the music so Marco could still hear it while in there.

 

One boyfriend up, one to go, Jean thought, turning back to the last of their trio. Eren was still out cold, tangled in their sheets even more than before. Even as the scent of coffee permeated the air, and as Cinderella songs played loudly not even three feet from his head, Eren had not moved at all. If not for the steady rise and fall of his chest, Jean would've assumed he was dead. Crawling up along the bed, Jean slowly unwrapped Eren from the sheet monster, eventually laying face to face with him. Mulling over how to wake him up, Jean kissed his forehead, smiling at how Eren's nose twitched at that. Might as well go for the fastest option, he thought, pulling Eren closer.

 

"Eren, wake up," Jean cooed into the smaller boy's ear, ruffling his unruly hair, "we're going to the beach baby, we gotta get going now."

It wasn't exactly a lie; their road trip destination was by a beach, since they were visiting Armin's beach house, where all their friends would spend a solid two weeks together once more. Eren's eyes snapped open, and he shot up like an arrow, his forehead colliding with Jean's. Both of them let out yelps of pain as Marco floated out of the bathroom fully dressed, dancing to the soundtrack with a wide grin on his face. Eren let out a huff of annoyance, flopping back into the bed, as Jean rolled over him and off the side to go distribute coffee. Marco grinned and dragged Eren off the bed, pulling him along in a silly waltz into the kitchen.

 

Jean quickly poured two cups (three sugars for Marco, one sugar and more cream than coffee for Eren) and placed them on the counter, before pouring his own cup, watching the other two waltz around the table before settling down with their coffees. Jean gulped down his drink quickly, cleaning up the coffee pot and keeping an eye on the time. It was almost 3:30am, and Jean was getting antsy about leaving later than they had planned. Tapping his feet impatiently at his boys, who were both half asleep over their cups, Jean decided it was time for them to get on the road. He would be taking the first shift driving, after all.

 

"We'll get breakfast on the road, yeah?" Jean asked, scooping up their half finished coffees, Eren whining and jumping after Jean. Marco smiled sweetly, snatching up the car keys so he could load their luggage. It was easier to just do what Jean wanted when he was this antsy than to protest, which was something Eren hadn't learned just yet (or he just wasn't awake enough to remember this). It was almost funny, watching Jean attempt to pour out the cups while Eren dived and dipped around to try and get his coffee back. Marco shouldered two of the suitcases, and stumbled out of their apartment, not bothering to close the front door, Jean and Eren's bickering following him (now Eren was whining about having to get dressed, apparently Jean had succeeded with pouring out the coffees).

 

Thankfully their apartment was only one flight up from the ground floor, as Marco wasn't sure if he could handle that many stairs this early in the morning with these heavy-ass suitcases. Reaching their car (technically Jean's car, an older Jetta that was his pride and joy), Marco finally dropped the bags without a second thought. Probably a bad idea, as the smaller of the two bags exploded open, revealing all of Jean's crap. Marco jumped back, nearly tripping over the other bag, staring at just how much stuff had exploded out of the bag. Clothes, blankets, and electronics chargers littered the ground, and Marco was thankful that Jean had been able to park under a streetlamp the evening before, so he could see the things he would have to pick up. After shoving the larger bag into the trunk, Marco shoved the opened bag into the back seat, carefully picking up what he could find.

 

Loud bickering could be heard coming from their building, and Marco panicked slightly, scooping up whatever was on the ground and just shoving it into the back seat. Smiling at his boys, Marco straightened up and patted his pockets for the keys. Eren tossed his bag into the open trunk, mumbling about how there was literally nothing stopping him from sleeping until they would stop for breakfast. Jean raised an eyebrow at his suitcase's contents spilling across the backseat, but probably assumed that Marco's bad luck had extended to his overstuffed bag. As Eren shimmied into the back seat, and Jean flopped into the driver's seat, Marco quickly dug out the printed maps from his own bag, before slamming the trunk closed and hurrying into the passenger's seat.

 

"So, we ready for three days of driving? We'll stop for breakfast in like, four hours maybe." Jean laughed, starting up the car and shooting out of the spot. Eren shoved a cd into Marco's hand, before curling up with his head on the open suitcase. Marco grinned, realizing that Eren had had the brain ability to remember to snag the Cinderella soundtrack before they'd left. Marco would remember to thank him later, as he closed his eyes for a quick nap as well.

 

 

No one noticed the abandoned teddy bear, forlornly laying in the middle of the abandoned parking spot.


	2. The Little Diner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip has just started, but already the boys are making a pit stop. Probably a good idea, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing about the diner while thinking about how much I miss the diner that my step-grandpa would take me to on the weekends when he would visit.  
> That diner's been closed for like two years, but I can't not think about it nostalgically now.

    It took less than two hours before Jean was a nervous wreck behind the wheel. He'd never been in an accident, never pulled over for speeding, but he was still absolutely terrified to drive. Which meant that even if they did get an early start for the trip, that they would have to stop quickly to switch drivers (preferably for Marco to drive, Eren's driving was a bit too terrifying for Jean to handle) if they were to all stay sane. Which, unfortunately, wasn't the case.

 

    "Damnit Jean, you can go faster than fucking forty an hour!" Eren snapped from the back seat, huffing in frustration. Jean just crunched himself closer to the wheel, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, as if his grip on the wheel would make Eren's complaining more tolerable. He had just merged onto the highway, and cars were whizzing past so fast that Jean was going to be sick if he focused on them too much. Anxiety poured off of Jean in waves, and Marco knew that if he tried to comfort Jean it would end in them most likely (or almost) crashing. Never touch the driver when they're a nervous wreck was definitely something they'd all learned when they were beginning to learn to drive (Marco could almost block out the time he crashed into a streetlamp when Eren had tried to hold his hand while driving). Instead of worrying himself even more over the blond, Marco reached back towards Eren in an almost pleading gesture. Eren huffed again, unable to control his impatience about the whole ordeal. The car crawled along for what felt like an eternity, before Jean spotted a sign for a rest stop almost five miles away. It was like a godsend.

 

    "Hey, anyone wanna stop for breakfast now?" Jean asked, his voice pitching higher than normal in his attempt at nonchalance. The other two agreed immediately, as it would mean being able to switch drivers without Jean feeling too terrible about his overly cautious driving. Plus they would all be a bit more awake after something to eat, even if it was crappy fast food. Eren and Marco both knew that Jean had a soft spot for McDonalds breakfasts, so they were both thrown for a loop when Jean parked in the lot for a bright-red local diner.

 

    Jean scoffed at their surprised faces as he turned the car off, sneering slightly "What? You think we're gonna eat shitty fast food this entire vacation? No fucking way, we'll get fat and greasy." Marco bit his lip to hide his smile, as Eren exploded into a laughing pile of goop in the back, with Jean scowling at the both of them.

 

    "Fine, get fat, see if I care," Jean huffed, abandoning the two of them, pink cheeked. Eren calmed down only marginally, Marco following their rail-thin boyfriend. Eren almost dissolved into another fit of giggles at the idea of him having pudge. It just didn't seem possible.

 

    "Jean, honestly, if Sasha couldn't make you fat back in high school, it's an impossibility!" Marco giggled, jogging slightly to catch up with the blond, Eren finally dragging himself out of the car. Jean stopped to wait for Eren, surprisingly, and his frown faded as both his boys slipped one of their hands into either of his for a moment, the tension from driving fading. It would have to do for now, since they had decided the night before leaving that it probably wasn't the best idea to act like they were all dating in public. Or at least, more in public than the car or hotel rooms they'd be sharing. Once their hands slipped from his, Jean stuffed his (now mildly chilly, and so very empty) hands into his pockets.

 

    "I hope this place makes good French toast," Eren started, stretching his arms above his head, "or I'm gonna be more disappointed than when we went to that pancake place and their pancakes fucking sucked."

    "Eren, that was two days ago, and it was an iHop," Jean laughed, holding the diner's door open for the trio to slink inside. The diner itself appeared to have a Greek or Italian themed interior, with ivy draped along the booths and mosaic tiled floors. Quiet orchestral music played from some speakers, but it was drowned out by the noise from the kitchen. The squat old woman behind the counter hurried out, clutching menus and smiling broadly.

 

    "Booth or table gentlemen?" She asked, straightening out her black apron with the diner's logo splashed across the top of it. A simple question really, but Eren hated booths, and Jean didn't like sitting at tables. Marco couldn't care less either way, but he was always the tie breaker when they went out together. But before Marco could say either was fine, Jean beat him to the punch.

 

    "Table, if it's possible," Jean said, and led the way after her as she nodded and trotted off to the right, where an abundance of round tables were squished in. Marco and Eren traded surprised looks, but followed quietly. It wasn't usual that Jean would settle for a table without a fight, especially if he had been driving at all. But Eren wasn't about to pass up a nice table, where they could look at each other equally, instead of a 2v1 sort of deal that booths always seemed to promise with a group of three. A round table was perfect, like the one they had back home.

 

    Jean was silent for most of the meal, only adding snide remarks every once in a while. It took a surprisingly short time between sitting, and ordering, to recieve their food, for which Jean was extremely grateful for. Towering plates of pancakes, eggs, toast, sausages, and of course French toast reached their table in record time, all still hot. Jean and Marco shared a small smile when Eren started squealing over how good his French toast was ("seriously Jean, it's almost better than yours, you gotta taste this shit!" "Jesus Christ Eren, don't fucking wave around your knife like that, if you stab me in the eye I'll kill ya"), but it was mostly silent at their table. Jean nearly balked at the bill, and would've paid for it himself, if Marco didn't insist on paying.

 

    "Think of it as a thank you, for making sure we don't get fat and greasy," was Marco's reasoning, which made Eren start cackling again. Jean pouted, but stopped as Marco slipped him a quick kiss when he thought no one was looking. Eren, having eyes like a hawk, had seen their quick smooch, and he started pouting as they left the diner in hopes of getting one of Marco's sticky syrupy kisses as well.

 

    Marco's happy to comply with Eren's unspoken wish, kissing him soundly as they all leave the diner, Jean scurrying ahead of the pair so they can have a moment. It's almost music to Jean's ears, hearing his boys do anything together; talking, kissing, snuggling, fucking, anything is musical to him. Hearing Eren and Marco together in any way is just as lovely to him as it being him and Eren, or him and Marco. It makes sense to Jean, the three of them together, and it fills the empty spaces in his heart and soul perfectly. He's never said it out loud, but as Eren and Marco catch up to him, the pleased smile on his face is proof enough of how he feels.

 

    "I call shotgun!" Eren hollered, grinning from ear to ear as he scrambled past both of them to the car, in case Jean wanted to fight him for the front seat. Jean was just glad Eren wouldn't be the one driving, and he lingers behind with Marco.

  
   "I guess that means I'm driving," Marco mused, slipping his hand into Jean's. Jean nodded gratefully, not really wanting to drive once more, especially not after eating enough to burst.

 

    As Jean flopped into the back seat, and Eren teased the sleepy blond from the front seat, Marco's heart swelled at the sight of his boys grumping at each other. Sure, they fought like animals when they were in their moods, but Marco couldn't help loving his prickly cinnamon rolls. Quickly reversing out of the spot, barely two minutes had passed before Jean croaked out a question that almost made Marco hit the brakes.

 

  
"Guys...Have you seen my teddy bear?"


	3. The Teddy Bear Explained

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They didn't go far before they had to turn around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note: I'm not feeling all that inspired with this, so for now, consider this complete. I might add chapters to it when I'm no longer smashing my head into the keyboard.

 

    So there's a thing that everyone knows about Jean's teddy bear. Well, anyone that's known him since he's started dating Eren and Marco will know what it is. Aside from being very important, Jean's teddy bear was the first gift his boyfriends ever jointly gave to him.

 

    Even knowing that about the teddy bear, it might not be that big a deal to anyone outside of their trio. But they know. Eren knows how long it took for him and Marco to tell each other that they had feelings for Jean that were more than just the friend kind. Eren knows how he and Marco had danced around the issue once it was in the open, not sure how to proceed with their relationship (would it be better to just break up? If they broke up, which of them would get to pursue Jean? Should they just claim Jean to be off-limits for both of them if they did break up?), before one of Eren's late night browsing ended up with him researching polyamory. Eren knows how that led to him and Marco spending hours discussing if it was an option for them. Then there was the worry about Jean accepting their proposition. An eventual decision, to ask on Valentine's day with a teddy bear (Marco's idea) they'd picked out, and the rest was history. A bit over two years of history.

 

    But most importantly about the teddy bear, was that Jean couldn't sleep at all without it, even if he was sandwiched between Eren and Marco. Jean had admitted to Marco, mumbling between kisses on the following Valentine's day, that in the three days that it took for him to really understand what Eren and Marco had asked of him, that the teddy bear hadn't left his side at all. Especially not at bed time. The stupid bear had been picked with care by not only his two best friends, but the the guys he'd had major crushes on for a while at that point. And even while Jean had holed himself in his tiny bedroom, unsure of how to wrap his head around their proposition, he had clung tightly to that damn bear.

 

    So to Jean, just by accepting the bear, he was already accepting their proposal. The only difference was, when Jean felt like kissing Marco when he was being unbearably cute, or he wanted to kiss Eren when he was being a grumpy shit, Jean could do that. He was allowed that luxury now, that happiness. And in turn, when Marco wanted to massage the tight knots of stress out of Jean's shoulders, or when Eren decided to end one of their arguments with a blowjob, they were allowed those luxuries. Luxuries that, even two years into their relationship, Jean was still anxious about taking advantage of, especially in public.

 

    Neither boy wanted Jean to feel self-conscious while with him. But for Jean, it was an in-grained, automatic response. A defense mechanism, developed by years of being in shit relationships with people who were either too ashamed of him, or too ashamed of themselves to be out in public with him. Even the small kiss that Marco had snuck up on Jean while in the diner was pushing his tentative, shakey limits of what he was able to handle in public.

 

    It had taken a while for Eren to understand this part of Jean, he just couldn't wrap his head around how anyone would be ashamed of being with Jean in any way. Jean was just so...Much. So important. Eren could go on for ages about how perfectly Jean fit in with him and Marco. He could go on for ages about how perfect Jean's thin, pale legs looked entwined with his and Marco's. How perfectly Jean's hands shook most of the time, steady only with a brush held expertly. How even Jean's stupid cocky smirk was perfectly suited to balance Marco's sweet smiles and Eren's not-snarls. All of this was rolled into the obnoxious, anxiety-ridden man in the back seat of the car, who was almost having a panic attack over not knowing where his teddy bear was.

 

 

Not a word was exchanged as Marco turned the car around, and they shot back towards their apartment.


	4. The Great Teddy Bear Rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teddy bear is rescued, and there is much joy.

   The drive back towards the apartment took a lot longer, as they apparently hit rush "hour" traffic. Marco could feel the anxiety pouring from the back seat like a physical being, as they slowed to a crawl. Eren was fidgeting next to him, eyes flickering to the rearview mirror to check on Jean frequently. They could feel his anxiety, but Jean barely showed any outward signs of it, aside from gnawing on his nails and bouncing his legs. Marco gripped the wheel extra tight when Jean would start bouncing, and Eren would start to say something, but Marco would just grit his teeth and shake his head. Only when Marco almost veered straight off the road, overcompensating for his dizzy spell, did Eren not keep his silence.

 

   "For fuck's sake, stop bouncing back there!" Eren snapped, twisting in his seat to look at Jean fully. Eren didn't have a particularly harsh look on his face, and even though his tone wasn't even particularly harsher than usual, Jean flinched back and curled up on himself with a tiny whimper. Eren felt his stomach fall out of his body, immediately regretting snapping.

 

   "Marco, pull over," Eren ordered, already unclipping his seat belt, getting ready to dive into the back seat. Marco looked at him like he was crazy, but eased the car slowly out of traffic, and threw on the hazard lights. Marco had barely shoved the car into park before Eren was crawling into the back seat, invading Jean's space.

 

   "Hey," Eren whispered, carefully reaching out to Jean as he sat down on the open suitcase, Marco turning off the car as he wiggled around in the front to face them both. Jean flinched back slightly, the car bouncing vigorously as he couldn't control his leg, glaring fiercely at his own lap. Eren breathed slowly through his nose as he lowered his hands, biting at his own lip as he shared a look with Marco. Marco was holding his breath in the front seat; Eren had a tendency to push both of them beyond their comfort zones at the best of times. If he pushed Jean too far...Marco didn't want to think about that. Especially when Jean's physical representation of their relationship was missing. Surely Eren wouldn't...

 

   "Jean, baby," Eren started again, just as quietly as before, voice wavering slightly, holding his hands palm up as he brought them into Jean's line of sight. When Jean didn't move either way, both Marco and Eren internally cheered. Carefully, Eren rested his hands on Jean's knees, flipping one hand over to rub soothing circles on his right knee. "Everything's alright, yeah?" Eren asked, ducking down to get Jean to look at him. Jean shook his head, eyes squeezing shut for a second, as Eren carefully reached for his hand.

 

   "Don't worry. We'll get your bear back, you know that right?" Eren continued, Jean's hand now gently held in his. Jean lifted his head to level both of them with a halfhearted glare, huffing at his anxiety for fucking with Marco's driving. Marco smiled encouragingly at him, blowing him a kiss (which made Jean turn bright red) before settling back into his seat. If they were ever going to get back to their complex, they'd have to get driving. Eren settled himself better on top of the open suitcase, tossing his legs into Jean's lap haphazardly. Jean scrunched his nose as Eren flipped his sandals off his feet, but settled back into the seat, feeling much calmer than before. His boys were going to get his bear back, and everything would be fine.

 

* * *

 

 

   It was almost noon when they finally pulled back into their complex's parking lot, by which time Jean was practically vibrating, even with Eren holding his hand. All three of them were more than a little thankful when Marco finally parked the car, and Jean was out the door before the car was off, searching for the spot the car was parked last night. By the time Eren had scrambled out of the back, and Marco had turned the car off, they heard a loud caw of triumph, followed by a happy squealing noise.

 

   Eren and Marco shared a grin, and Eren hurried to the corner to peer around the building as Marco hurried out of the car. Marco hurried to the corner, and craned his neck so that both of them could watch Jean cuddle his teddy bear in the middle of the parking spot. Eren had a shit eating grin on his face that he was trying to hide, Marco would probably scold him for that, but Jean looked too damn adorable with his cute bear. Jean soon stood up and headed back over their way, a deer in headlights for a minute when he caught sight of his boys watching him, the blush staining his cheeks turning darker as he got closer.

 

   "I vote Eren drives now," Jean grumbled as he finally rejoined the pair, snorting at their shocked looks. "If we're ever gonna make up for the time we lost, we need the speed demon to drive," he added, allowing Marco and Eren to both throw an arm around him, Eren squawking indignantly and Marco smothering his laughter in Jean's hair.  They'd be back on track soon, if Eren's terrifying driving had anything to say about it.


End file.
